The Calling Product Thresholds page defines the logic used for recommending the most cost-effective calling solution based on a user’s monthly calling activity. Administrators can configure two key thresholds:
Monthly Incoming Calls Threshold
This is the number of incoming calls a user receives in a month, for which assigning a Dedicated Phone Number (also known as a Direct Inward Dial - DID) is advisable.
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High Monthly Incoming Calls require a DID - It is better to provide users who receive many incoming calls per month with a dedicated number (DID) to reach them quickly, rather than routing callers through an Auto-Attendant, where callers must then dial an extension or say their name.
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Low Monthly Incoming Calls can go through an Auto Attendant - For users who rarely receive calls (low monthly incoming calls), using an Auto-Attendant with Shared Calling is a cost-effective choice. Callers will dial a shared number and hear an automated greeting. The system will then ask callers to either say the name of the person they want to reach or enter the person’s extension.
Monthly Outgoing Minutes Threshold
This threshold is the total monthly outgoing minutes required to justify a Bundled Minutes plan.
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High Monthly Outgoing Minutes should be bundled - Users who make many outgoing calls can save money with Bundled Minute Plans that offer lower rates for large blocks of minutes.
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Low Monthly Outgoing Minutes can be charged per minute - Users who make fewer outgoing calls should consider Per-Minute Calling Plans, as these plans are more cost-effective for low usage.*
Decision Matrix
| Incoming Calls | Outgoing Minutes | Recommended Plan Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Low | Shared Calling | The user has low overall usage; they are an ideal candidate for the most cost-effective solution of Shared Calling. The few calls they receive will be routed through an Auto Attendant where callers are prompted to then say the name of the person they are trying to reach or dial an extension. |
| High | Low | Per-Minute Calling Plan | The user receives many calls, so Shared Calling is not a good fit for them. They should get a dedicated number so callers can reach them directly. Since they use few outgoing minutes, a Per-Minute plan would be the most cost-effective choice for them. |
| N/A | High | Bundled Minute Plan | The user spends a lot of minutes on outgoing calls. A Bundled Minutes plan is the most cost-effective option, offering a lower per-minute rate for high outbound usage. Inbound activity not relevant because a dedicated number is usually included with Bundled Minutes Plan. |
The Try It Out section lets you test your own monthly values interactively to see which plan would be suggested.
These thresholds power the Suggested Calling Product in the Directory Number Migration Report and will also support recommendations for the PSTN Utilization Report in 10.5.0.